Poverty

The US is one of the most developed countries in the World, but it also is one with the largest amount of poverty. 37,3 million people living in the US are suffering its social, economical and cultural consequences. Poverty can be defined as a standard of living that is below the minimum level considered adequate by society, but is this level really adequate? Poverty is the most important issue that the American Society currently faces, since the problem is much higher than it appears, because poverty levels are too low and don’t show the true cost of living.

Topic Sentence

The poverty level is the minimum annual income needed by a family to survive. In fact, the poverty level currently used is of $21,200, but it may vary depending on the number of family members since this poverty level is considered for a family of 4. Hence, any family with 2 adults and 2 children in the US living under $21,200 is considered to live in poverty.

This amount was made by calculating the cost of providing an adequate diet and multiplying it by 3, which was done by the 1960’s. Furthermore, this makes it lower than the current cost of living since the prices have risen from that decade. Thus, this poverty level should increase in order to fit today’s true cost of living.

12.5% is the poverty rate in the US.

This means that 12.5% of the population in America lives under $21,200. If the poverty level increased in order to suit the true cost of living this percentage would increase, making the ideal of an American Dream surreal, and making the US appear as drastically unequal with a higher poverty rate.

For instance, according to the NCCP’s Basic Need Budget Calculator the poorest cities in the US need the 202% of the 2008 Federal Poverty Level. This specifically states that they need more than the double of what they earn in order to cover their basic needs.

The US is ranked as #1 in the top seventeen leading industrial countries in the world with the largest percentage of their population in poverty.

This percentage would increase if the poverty level was higher.